NBA Game Notes (April 22, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 22, 2025.

Apr 23, 2025

Three Stars

The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.

First ⭐️

Giannis Antetokounmpo produced game highs of 34 points and 18 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Indiana Pacers 123-115, giving Indiana a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference First Round series. Antetokounmpo was incredibly efficient from the field, making 14 of his 20 attempts. He also dished out a team-high seven assists and blocked one shot in 40 minutes of action.

Second ⭐️

Luka Doncic racked up game highs of 31 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 94-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, squaring their Western Conference First Round series at one game apiece. Doncic went 9-20 from the floor and sank all 11 of this free throw attempts. He also blocked one shot (tying seven others for the game lead) in 42 minutes played.

Third ⭐️

Chet Holmgren scored 20 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies 118-99 to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference First Round series. Holmgren shot 6-14 from the field (3-8 on 3-pointers) and 5-6 from the charity stripe. He also recorded a game-high five blocks, committing just one turnover and one personal foul in 33 minutes of court time.

Milestones

Antetokounmpo recorded his 54th career playoff double-double, breaking a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most such games in Milwaukee Bucks history. He also appeared in his 81st career playoff game, snapping a tie with Khris Middleton to take over sole possession of second place on the franchise’s all-time list.
The Lakers’ LeBron James (21 points, 11 rebounds) produced his 142nd career double-double in the playoffs, tying Shaquille O’Neal for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time list.

Streaking

Doncic has scored at least 25 points in each of his last 14 playoff games, the longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 7.1 APG, and 2.0 SPG over that span.
James has scored in double figures in 137 straight playoff games, tying O’Neal for the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history. The record of 179 such games in a row is held by Michael Jordan.

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Antetokounmpo was the night’s top bucket getter, netting 34 points. He was followed by Doncic (31), the Bucks’ Bobby Portis (28), the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (27), the Timberwolves’ Julius Randle (27), the Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. (26), and the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (25).
Antetokounmpo was also the night’s top board man, hauling in 18 rebounds. There was a three-way tie for second place among the Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane, Doncic, and Portis, each with 12 boards.
The Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton was the leading playmaker, handing out 12 assists last night. Doncic ranked second with nine dimes, while Antetokounmpo, James, and the Bucks’ Damian Lillard shared third place with seven apiece.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a point differential of plus-70 points versus the Memphis Grizzlies, the second-largest such figure in NBA history through the first two games of a playoff series. The Los Angeles Lakers owned a 75-point advantage after Games 1 and 2 of their 1986 Western Conference First Round series versus the San Antonio Spurs.